Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-02-16
wsLL-kEpT SECRETS.
How Chester a. Arthur Came Near Dying
Twice While Presldent.

f1CW CHESTER n. Arthur came Near Dying
Twice While Prcsldent.
RI. G. Crawford in n Y. wcrld.l
DR. Liacolr, one of the most prominent
of the physicians here, was the regular at1
tendant OF President Arthur. Since tho
latter's death the doctor has given an ac-
count of two serious attacks of Illness OF
Arthur when he was President about
Ehi ch the public has n<'ver heard o word.
Arthur came near dying three times
once While he was Vice-President and
twice while he was President. One attack.
which nearly carried him of, and which is
known to the public occurred on board
the Tallapoosa when Mr.. Arthur was alb
sent on his Florida trip. The news of this
attack got out, and within a few. days
afterward exact details of the danger
through which the President had passed
were given. These stories were at that
time denied at the White House in the most
positive and dogmatic way. The President
was so sensitive upon the subject
Of his health that tho OBJ
sequious members of his per-
sonal staff felt called upon to make denials
of what they knew to bo true. Dr. Lincoln
says there were two other occasio1s when
the President came as near dying as
as on the occasion of his Florida trip His
first serious attack occurred in Senator
Jones' hoCse, on Capitol Hill, when Arthur
was Vice-President. This attack took
place during Arthurs visit to Washington
in July, after he had been called here to
await the result of Garfield's wounds
Mr.. Arthur at the time was weighed down
with worry and responsibility. He was
very emotional man. The criticisms at
that time, the excitement of his surround
ings and !he responsibility which was
threatening to come upon his shoulders
10 nf i,,f
which depressed him very much. Then he
caught Geld, and this cold brought on an
attack OF nervous rheumatism. DIR. Lift
coin was summoned TO attend him
one night, and found Mr.. Ar
thur IN very dangerous condi-
tion. DR.. Lincoln really thought he
would die. The nows Of the attack was
well kept. Not single member OF the
Garfield Cabinet ever knew II. The
knowledge was confined to DR.. Leonard
and Senator Jones. Not even the servants
in the White House were given TO under
stand that the illness was anything moro
than an ordinary cold. Think what sen.
sation was suppressed by this close
mouthed doctor Garfield was lying ut
the point of death at the White House and
his successor, for twenty four hours, was
at the point of death in another part of the
town.
The secono occasion when Dr. Lincoln
was called in to stand between Mr.. Arthur
and second call of death was after Mr..
Arthur's return from the Yellowstone
valley. The trip was very severe upon
him. Instead of beneilting him the result
was serious injury. The roughing it, I'm
stead of building him up, pulled him
down. He had got beyond the point
when he could stand such treat
ment. When he returned from the
West to the White House he was in
most distressing condition. When DR..
Lincoln came TO see him he found him auf-
fering horrible pain. His legs were swoh
len nearly to the size of his body This
was the positive Indication of the develop
ment of Bright's disease. Or. Lincoln was
able to reliove Mr.. Arthur and TO reduce,
the distension. But if he had not received
medical attendance very promptly he
would have died at that time, and acting
Vice-President George L. Edmunds would
have been his successor. The news of this
attack was never known outside of the
Presidents immediate attendants in the
White House, Secretary Frelinghuysen
and DR.. Lincoln. None of the other mem.
bers of the Cabinet were told of this at
tack. This second illness was another ono
of the well-preserved secrets of the AR.
thur administration.